Tuesday, 4 February 2003

I celebrated SA4QE 2 on Sunday 2nd, the only day I had available to get outside for a photo shoot. My idea for this year was to invert the process slightly, and pair appropriate quotations with specimens of the scenery here in Lincoln County. The pictures are my birthday gift. A powerful windstorm came about and caused me to alter my locations, but I did find places that I felt illuminated the quotations in some way.

All the best for this solar return...

The first drop took place in a dingy back room of the Old Courthouse Museum in Lincoln. A bare bulb shines down on the life-size poster of Billy the Kid, an image copied from a tintype taken in 1878. Behind the board on which this is pasted is the wooden grave marker of his mother, Catherine McCarty Antrim. Here is the quote --

from The Raven

(a short story from The Moment under The Moment)

One says "a black time" but actually the black of things is all kinds of colors. Sometimes it's the gray rainlight in an empty room; sometimes it's the sound of one's own footsteps under yellow streetlamps; sometimes it's an unaccompanied cello from a long time ago. It was difficult to understand the reality of my days, that this was now my life that would last until my death, that I had closed a door and gone, that there was no going back, that no-one was there any more. No-one was there because you don't just leave people, you leave a time. And the time wasn't there any more.

The second drop is thrust under the threshold of an ancient adobe building in Lincoln County. You can see the bricks beginning to melt, the sills starting to spring away from the structure. Here is the quote --

from PILGERMANN

Jesus said, "I am the energy that will not be still. I am a movement and a rest, but at the same time I am all movement and no rest and you will have no rest but in the constant motion of me. Do you believe?"

"I believe," I said.

"Why do you believe?" said Jesus.

"No belief is necessary," I said. "It manifests itself."

By the time of my third drop, the wind was becoming seriously gusty, so I had to fold the paper and stick it in the wire loop that held the barbed strands to the old fence post. That is Sierra Blanca in the background, sacred to the Mescalero Apaches upon whose reservation the mountain exists. Here is the quote -

from PILGERMANN

Even a small mountain is always a surprise, it is always so much itself.

I did not photograph my final drop, but it was true to certain traditions. The fourth sheet of yellow paper went into an open freezer in the meats section of the WalMart in Ruidoso, and it says --

SA4QE is now on russellhoban.org!

The Slickman A4 Quotation Event (SA4QE) is an annual literary activity in which fans of the novelist Russell Hoban celebrate his birthday on 4 February by placing favourite quotations from his books in public places.

SA4QE posts are now being recorded over at the official Russell Hoban website www.russellhoban.org. See you there! In the meantime, enjoy the huge archive of quotations, reports and photos on this site dating from 2002 when the event started, up to and including 2012.

New Russell Hoban website launched!

Updated 21/10/12: A new website devoted to Russell Hoban was launched last month. Containing a biography, information pages on the books and scores of essential links, russellhoban.org is the definitive guide to all things Hobanesque.The site also has a forum and is inviting submissions of original content such as essays. Registered users can also add to a "gallery of editions" which aims to crowd-source a comprehensive list of all editions of Russell Hoban's books.

Also, on 4 October 2012 Walker published a beautiful new children's book. Rosie's Magic Horse is illustrated by the legendary Quentin Blake (with whom Russ had formerly collaborated on Trouble on Thunder Mountain, among other titles) and tells the story of a little girl and her collection of ice-lolly sticks, which dream of being a horse.

russell hoban news

Russell Hoban's last novel Angelica Lost and Found was published in November 2010 and is available from Amazon and all good bookshops. There were good reviews of the book in the Guardian and Independent and an excellent interview with Russell Hoban in the Scotsman, as well as a revealing audio interview at Tim Haigh Reads Books.

2010-2011 activity

Between late 2010 and early 2011 Russell Hoban took part in an almost unprecedented number of media activities to promote his new book Angelica Lost and Found and the 30th anniversary of his most famous novel, Riddley Walker. SA4QE blogged about all of these events and this site contains some exclusive content from them:

On 15 February 2011 Russ took part in a brilliant conversation with Will Self at the British Library about Riddley Walker; SA4QE has a full multimedia report including a transcript, photos and a video of Self reading a classic passage from the book.

Between 29 September and 16 October 2011 the Trouble Puppet Theatre Company in Austin, Texas staged a version of Riddley Walker. Russell Hoban was supportive of the production. Details can be found on the Trouble Puppet site. There is currently talk of the show touring to other venues in the US.

Russell Hoban reader survey results are in!

Save Gaby's Deli

The London restaurant Gaby's Deli, which is mentioned in Russell Hoban's books The Bat Tattoo and Linger Awhile, is under threat. The landlords want to close it and, reportedly, replace it with a chain restaurant. Give their Facebook page a like or sign their petition.

Still available - the 2005 Russell Hoban Convention booklet

In 2005 the first international convention for Russell Hoban fans took place in London, and was marked by the publication of a fantastic 48-page booklet featuring exclusive contributions from innumerable fans and associates including novelist David Mitchell and actress Glenda Jackson. A wonderful memento of the event, it's also a beautiful collector's item and must-have for any Hoban fan. Although in limited supply, copies of the booklet are still available at £6.00 each plus p&p. Order direct from the Russell Hoban Some-Poasyum website.

SA4QE 2011

Russell Hoban turned 86 on 4 February 2011 and fans celebrated in traditional style by leaving quotes from his books in public places. Browse their quotes here. The Russell Hoban community group The Kraken sent Russ a birthday gift of The Kraken Rum. Read a report about this at the Fantastic Reads blog.

Riddley Walker SA4QE special

To celebrate 30 years in print of Russell Hoban's most famous novel Riddley Walker, SA4QE broke with its February tradition and conducted an extraordinary SA4QE on 5 November 2010 in which participants shared their favourite quotes from the book. This site was updated throughout November 2010 with the quotes submitted.

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